Collaboration in Online Higher Education: Benefits & Obstacles CADE-ACED June 9, 2003 St. John’s Newfoundland

Who we are 11 universities

Who we are Complementarit y Common principles: Accessibility Sharing of expertise Cross-promotion

What we’ve done Processes and procedures Website Internal communication Establish foundation

What we’ve done Processes and procedures Website Internal communication Campus Canada

Partners Learners Services Programs Benefits to CVU - secretariat -marketing -opportunities

What we’ve done Learning Objects Promotion

What we’ve done Residency report, GEN seminar, CADE presentation Online science lab together

Benefits Program and course selection Services Fee savings to students programs, 2000 courses - central enquiries, common forms

Benefits Opportunities Learning to partners “We've been successful at garnering R&D $ that would not have been available to us as individual institutions” “It has attracted national and international opportunities we wouldn’t have had otherwise” “I learned a lot about distance education issues outside my own institution.”

Benefits to partners “Networking” “Visibility” “Raise d.e. profile” “Branding” “Good marketing vehicle” “Useful discussions” “Well managed” “Increased enrolment in part-time students”

Challenges Documenting registrations Niche Sustainable business model Collaborative program development

Principles for Sustainable Collaboration

What makes CVU work “An excellent initiative that was very well planned and executed” “I think it’s successful from the point of view of having a dynamic and professional image” “I think CVU is very well managed and has exceptional communication” “It has diverse institutions working together fairly effectively across jurisdictions” “Successful culture that challenges us to work together”

Measures of consortium strength Can a student take a whole program through the consortium without having to physically move between institutions ? Can a student automatically or without much trouble transfer credits and courses from one institution to another within the consortium? ½ Does the consortium provide “one-stop shopping”, namely student services, registration, fee payment, at any single point Do students have a much wider range of choice of courses, and at better quality, resulting from the consortium’s activities?  Can a student pay the same fee for the same kind of course irrespective of institution?

Foundations for a strong consortium Strategic Commitment Trust

Vicky Busch Executive Director CVU-UVC